Prefabrication Techniques in Building Construction

Prefabrication techniques in building construction mainly include prefabricated houses, modular buildings, prefabricated buildings, and the technology of assembling roofs and floors with prefabricated hollow bricks, among others. Details are as follows:

Prefabricated houses (prefabricated assembled buildings) involve the industrial production of building components and their assembly on-site. The main types include panel-assembled, box-assembled, and frame-assembled structures. The core lies in dividing the building into standardized components, ensuring uniform quality through factory assembly-line production, and significantly shortening the construction period through on-site assembly while reducing construction waste and dust pollution. For example, frame-assembled structures can quickly construct the main body of high-rise buildings using prefabricated concrete frame structures.

Modular buildings break down the building into independent modules, completing all hard finishes such as ceilings, floors, and plumbing in the factory, and then assembling them on-site. This approach realizes the vision of 'building houses like stacking blocks,' especially suitable for temporary buildings, schools, hospitals, and other scenarios with high speed requirements. The factory production of modular buildings allows for the simultaneous execution of construction and decoration projects, significantly improving construction efficiency.

Prefabricated buildings encompass various subtypes:

• Block buildings: Suitable for low-rise buildings of 3-5 floors, these are prefabricated as complete small houses in the factory and can be furnished immediately after on-site fixation, reducing on-site wet work.
• Panel buildings: Large components such as building facades or floors are prefabricated and require attention to node connection strength during on-site assembly.
• Box buildings: Single rooms with hard finishes (such as showers and kitchens) are completed in the factory, enabling 'immediate occupancy upon delivery,' suitable for standardized residential projects.
• Skeleton-panel buildings: The main skeleton of the building is prefabricated, and only the reinforcement of load-bearing nodes is required after on-site assembly, balancing structural safety and construction convenience.
• Lift-slab and lift-floor buildings: Prefabricated floor slabs are lifted using jacks, commonly used in multi-story buildings such as shopping malls and warehouses to reduce high-altitude work risks.

The technology of assembling roofs and floors with prefabricated hollow bricks uses steel frames to support hollow bricks, forming the roof structure without the need for concrete pouring or mortar application. This technology is popular in arid regions such as the Middle East and Africa, utilizing the lightweight properties of hollow bricks to reduce structural loads while simplifying the construction process and adapting to construction needs in resource-limited areas.